يَنامُ الطَريدُ بَعدَها نَومَةَ الضُحى
وَيَرضى بِها ذو الإِحنَةِ المُتَجَرِّمِ
The fugitive sleeps his mid-morning nap
Satisfied with her, though steeped in sin,
فَقامَ عَنِ القَبرِ الَّذي كانَ عائِذاً
بِهِ إِذ أَطافَت عيطُها حَولَ مُسلَمِ
So he rose from the grave where he had sheltered
When her wailing encircled the Muslim throng.
وَلَو كانَ زَبّانُ العُلَيمِيُّ جارَها
وَآلُ أَبي العاصي غَدَت لَم تُقَسَّمِ
Had Zubyan been her neighbor,
And the clan of Abul Asi, they'd not be divided.
وَفيمَ اِبنُ بَحرٍ مِن قِلاصِ أَشَذَّها
بِسَيفَينِ أَغشى رَأسَهُ لَم يُعَمَّمِ
Yet why should the son of Bahir fear her,
When his two swords cover his head though bare of turban?
وَلَم أَرَ مَدعُوَّينِ أَسرَعَ جابَةً
وَأَكفى لِراعٍ مِن عُبَيدٍ وَأَسلَمِ
Never have I seen two quicker to answer a call,
Or, for a shepherd, better guards than Ubayd and Aslam.
أَهيبا بِها يا اِبنَي جُبَيرٍ فَإِنَّها
جَلَت عَنكُما أَعناقُها لَونَ عِظلِمِ
Urge them on, O sons of Jubayr, for she
Has turned her neck from you, the hue of darkest night.
دَفَعتُ إِلى أَيديهِما فَتَقَبَّلا
عَصا مِئَةٍ مِثلَ الفَسيلِ المُكَمَّمِ
I handed over to them a staff of a hundred
Like a crowded caravan laden with goods.
فَراحا بِجُرجورٍ كَأَنَّ إِفالَها
فَسيلٌ دَماً قِنوانُهُ مِن مُحَلِّمِ
They sped off with a rumble as if her groaning
Was a torrent of blood poured from battered vessels.
أَلا يا اِخبِروني أَيُّها الناسُ إِنَّما
سَأَلتُ وَمَن يَسأَل عَنِ العِلمِ يَعلَمِ
Come tell me, O people - for he who asks after knowledge will gain it -
The question of a man whose mind learning has not neglected,
سُؤالَ اِمرِئٍ لَم يُغفِلِ العِلمَ صَدرُهُ
وَما العالِمُ الواعي الأَحاديثَ كَالعَمي
For the scholar, wakeful, is not like the ignorant,
Have you known a corpse, before Ghalib, who hosted a hundred guests and spoke no word?
أَلا هَل عَلِمتُم مَيِّتاً قَبلَ غالِبٍ
قَرى مِئَةً ضَيفاً وَلَم يَتَكَلَّمِ
My father, keeper of the grave, he who takes shelter there,
Saves him from the debt his shedding of blood imposes.
أَبي صاحِبُ القَبرِ الَّذي مَن يَعُذ بِهِ
يُجِرهُ مِنَ الغُرمِ الَّذي جَرَّ وَالدَمِ
And the seeker of Ghalib's tomb knew
The sword he bore declared no truce.
وَقَد عَلِمَ الساعي إِلى قَبرِ غالِبٍ
مِنَ السَيفِ يَسعى أَنَّهُ غَيرُ مُسلَمِ
When dogs snarled over the people, which most deserved
The crown of glory, sublimely honored?
وَإِذ نَحَّبَت كَلبٌ عَلى الناسِ أَيُّهُم
أَحَقُّ بِتاجِ الماجِدِ المُتَكَرِّمِ
Over a pack, the remains of Nizari's line,
And a rabble whose huts were never ruined.
عَلى نَفَرٍ هُم مِن نِزارٍ ذُؤابَةٌ
وَأَهلُ الجَراثيمِ الَّتي لَم تُهَدَّمِ
To which of them did he grant it, not knowing who they were,
Who allowed him the rule of a thousand fully veiled?
عَلى أَيِّهِم أَعطى وَلَم يَدرِ مَن هُمُ
أَحَلَّ لَهُم تَعقيلَ أَلفٍ مُصَتَّمِ
